5 common exercise barriers and how to beat them

‘One of the most common things I see as a PT is women quitting an exercise programme or an unwillingness to start as they go through menopause. They are overwhelmed not only with life but with the confusing amount of misinformation.

Many women become self-conscious and insecure, leading to a lack of motivation to pursue what they used to enjoy. Other women are unsure how to begin and develop a fear that will hinder them from starting. Some begin comparing themselves to those around them, which means they become even more self- conscious and fearful to start.

Some of the symptoms of menopause can be debilitating and I have seen many women, myself included, try to manage crippling joint pain and muscle fatigue. No woman should have to live with this pain and it can be a huge barrier to movement because our instinct tells us to rest, when really ‘motion is lotion’, and finding the right way to move will have multiple benefits.

I have worked with women who are so exhausted that they need to go back to bed in a matter of hours upon waking, which impacts their physical and mental well-being.

Procrastination, fear of change and a lack of understanding may also prevent you from focusing on your future health. Making excuses and rationalising your behaviour can impede your progress, so when you make an excuse, pause and think about why you’re doing this.

Remember that movement will breed movement. As you begin to feel more confident, you will find more ways to keep fit, strong and mobile.

Common obstacles

Lack of time

A barrier to starting or continuing with a fitness programme is that many women are time-poor. I understand how hard this is. We are juggling many balls and making time for ourselves can seem overwhelming. However, carving out time is important because you will feel more able to cope mentally with the challenges you face, and you will also be better at supporting those around you. Setting the alarm 15 minutes before your usual waking time can be enough time to allow some movement and time for yourself.

Muscle and joint pain

This is a common obstacle that women face and is instrumental in hindering progress for many. If you find this symptom especially crippling and you have already implemented lifestyle changes, you could see your GP and talk about HRT. For some women, this may be needed, but that doesn’t mean stopping the positive changes. If you are new to exercise and experiencing aches and pains from menopause, please know that moving your body will be instrumental in lubricating the joints and building muscle, which can go a long way to relieving the pain. Don’t let muscle and joint pain stop you from starting or continuing exercise.

No motivation

Many of us may find the symptoms of menopause hit us like a cyclical rollercoaster that can find us lacking in motivation. This is likely to come from placing unrealistic expectations on yourself and when it doesn’t go to plan, or you aren’t forgiving of yourself, you lose motivation. It’s common to start a new regime enthusiastically and have all the best intentions on a Sunday evening, but if you have made your programme unachievable, you will have no motivation or desire to continue.

Low energy

We know that one of the symptoms of menopause is low energy, which is often associated with poor sleep and night sweats. It can also indicate too much sugar or a glucose spike. It’s no wonder that some women are too tired to move. The good news is that if you start moving even just a little, you will increase your chances of a better night’s sleep, which could give you more energy to move.

Too late

With a distinct lack of representation of women going through menopause and midlife on social media or in the press, many believe it is too late to make changes and this can often be a driver for not trying. It is never too late to start, and with heart disease being one of the biggest causes of death among women postmenopausally, I would encourage you to start today.

The most important thing to remember is that you can start regardless of age or starting point. It is very common to feel nervous, but when you do feel like this, please remember everyone started somewhere and you are not alone. So don’t let this be a barrier to optimising your well-being.

Committing to change

Results often become the goal, but what if you can’t find the motivation to get started and get the results to make your routine stick?

It can be tough to find the motivation to exercise when we’re feeling tired, busy or distracted by other things. But what if we shift our focus away from the results and instead aim to find motivation through creating positive habits and achievable change?

By making small, positive changes and committing to them, we can slowly build a habit of consistent exercise. With consistency, we’ll begin to see and feel changes in our wellbeing, though it may take 3–4 months to feel a significant change in strength, endurance, sleep, energy, confidence and overall health, especially if you want it to be sustainable and achievable for life. Once we experience these changes though, we’ll naturally feel more motivated to continue on our journey towards better health.

For many of us, if we don’t feel or see immediate improvements, we can become demotivated. You must allow time. Your future health is not seasonal, it is a daily work in progress and will continue to be.

Fitter, Calmer, Stronger In 30 Days by Kate Rowe-Ham, published by Yellow Kite, is out now.

You might also like:

Kate Rowe-Ham’s 5 Minutes, 5 Questions

Why Exercise Matters in the Menopause

How to ease midlife joint pain